I'm trying to do some research on my ancestors. My great grandfather (Thaddaeus 1876-1951) and grandmother (Julia 1890-1973)came to America in 1908 and settled in Jermyn Pennsylvania. He was from Wierchomla Wielka and she from Wierchomla Mala. From what I found on Ancestry's website her maiden name may have been Szczwinska/Schawinsky. Iv found the spelling Fedorczak along with many other miss spellings on things where everything else is accurate. I found something that says they joined the the Russian Orthodox church when they came so I'm not sure what that means compared to their religion before coming here. They were married before coming here. Not totally sure where because the marriage certificate is not English. The ship manifest they came over on under country of origin says Galicia and on the application for nationalization it says ethnicity: Ruthenian, wife from: Poland, renounce alligence to: Soviet Union. My family has always had the ongoing joke/question as to weather we are Russian, Polish or Ukrainian. We were all raised being told we are Russian. One day I said something about speaking Russian and my Grandmother told me they didn't really speak Russian. That they spoke kind of a combination of Russian and Polish. I thought this had to do with my grandparents having grown up in America in the Orthodox church and that maybe a lot of the church was Polish. Untill I looked into the history of our family. My grandparents have both been gone for many years. Although going with the tradition for longevity in people from western Europe they both lived beyond the age of 92. I have done some research into what was once Galicia but if anyone can help me with a simplified history of my Great-Grandparents home land It would be greatly appreciated. Has it been part of all 3 previously mentioned country's at different points throughout history? What would be the correct term to refer to my family's origin? Also any information that may be related to the Fedorchak Family of Galicia also the  Petorak family (possible relative of great-grandfather??) And the  Sopchak family which is my grandmother's side. I have no information on that side but have not been too deep into it yet. Thank you anyone. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi Rose,

  Thanks for stopping bye with your questions. We will look into your surnames and villages and help in anyway we can.

Sharon

Laine,

After much research, you might consider trying to obtain the death certificates for Andrew Pawlak and Eva Stopen.  There is very little out there on this family. The birthdate for Andrew 24 March 1878 does not match anyone from Pielgrzymka or Wola Cieklinska.  If you know where any of the children were baptized, please advise.  If you have any family documents that might shed some light, can you post them please.  There are at least 3 Stopen families in Petna.  The one listed on the Ancestry site has a notation about a death in 1920 so I am not convinced that this is your person.  There is a gap in the birth records of Petna from 1879-1891 so if she was born in this period, that is an additional problem.  Please write back as we wish to help.

Tom Peters

...Oops. By "see it here" I meant

https://earth.google.com/earth/rpc/cc/drive?state=%7B%22ids%22%3A%5B%2211d35Ayc4a6bxSY2HuSs1vwGp9PRq0o1_%22%5D%2C%22action%22%3A%22open%22%2C%22userId%22%3A%22111791817350543276625%22%2C%22resourceKeys%22%3A%7B%7D%7D&usp=sharing

My mother's family resided in Hammond ,Indiana. They moved from 

Piitsburgh, Pa .  We attended St Nickolas Russian  Orthodox  Church .

The last name was Mi gela, Migella ,MaGella. I found several different spellings. 

Any of this ring a bell ?